


Someone Will Be Watching

by SifaShep



Series: Merc!Shepard AU [5]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Aria T'Loak - Freeform, Gen, Spectre Kaidan Alenko, merc!shepard AU, omega - Freeform, remy shepard, shepard as a merc, spectre ashley williams, spectre james vega
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-22
Updated: 2016-03-22
Packaged: 2018-05-28 09:58:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6324649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SifaShep/pseuds/SifaShep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This takes place in the Merc!Shep AU where Shepard was never in the Alliance, but became a merc crime lord.</p>
<p>Spectre Kaidan Alenko tries to help a dying young merc on Omega. Unfortunately, it attracts someone’s attention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Someone Will Be Watching

The battle was over by the time Kaidan and the others got there.

He’d seen plenty of death in his years as an Alliance soldier, and in his time as a Council Spectre. This was no different from any other battlefield on Omega. Usually Aria T'Loak kept a tight rein on the various mercenary groups on her station. _This_ , though…

“She would never let this go this far,” agreed Nyreen Kandros. The Turian leader of the Talons seemed to read Kaidan’s mind. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

He nodded in agreement, then glanced down at Gufus Nax. The volus Spectre scanned the area with his omni-tool. “Goof?”

Gufus bristled at the mispronunciation of the name. Kaidan winced; he’d picked it up from Ashley and James. ‘ _Guff rhymes with tough.’ Guf-fus, not goof-us._

Gufus chose not to chastise Kaidan this time, though. “Weak life signs. There are still survivors among the chaos, Spectre Alenko. I suggest we hurry, if we want someone to tell us what happened here.”

“Agreed. Nyreen?”

“I’ll take my people to the west side. Alenko, you take east and we’ll meet in the middle. Spectre Nax, if you find anything–”

“I will let you know.”

Kaidan picked his way through the debris. Ashley Williams and James Vega were on their way with backup. No one could have predicted this. _All our intel said the situation on Omega was stable. What the hell happened here?_

It was as if someone had thrown a grenade into the proverbial gunpowder keg. A grenade so big that it had wiped out half of the Blue Suns, Eclipse and Blood Pack groups in a single day. It would take weeks, if not months, for Omega to recover.

With Aria missing or dead, there was a huge power vacuum on Omega. That didn’t bode well for anyone, especially the Alliance.

He caught a glimpse of red on the wall next to him. He threw up a Barrier as he dove into cover. It was the only thing that saved his life. Incendiary bullets whizzed past him, trailing wisps of fire and scorching the metal around him.

_Sniper!_ He tapped his comm. “Sniper still lurking! Watch it!”

“Cavalry’s here,” came James Vega’s voice on the comm. “Got your back, Alenko,”

“I saw where the shots were fired from,” added Ashley. “I’m gonna try to circle around, see if I can pinpoint where he is.”

“Careful, Ash. Whoever it is, he’s pretty good. Damn near took my head off.”

“I’m _always_ careful.”

He snorted in humor. Kaidan crawled along the side wall, past broken mercenary bodies. More sniper fire, away from him this time. He worried about Ash, but forced himself to keep going.

A slight movement out of the shadows caught his eye. A single merc sat far away from the others, his back against the wall. Kaidan saw the wound in the man’s side; something had sliced through the armor and pierced the flesh beneath it. The man was barely conscious, an omni-tool flickered on his left arm and wrist.

“Hold on, I’m gonna help you.” Kaidan knelt next to him, his own omni-tool in hand. The man jerked awake at his approach, his right hand on his pistol. “What’s your name?”

“Jenkins,” he grunted. “God, it hurts.”

“I’m Kaidan. Stay still.” Jenkins’s life-signs were erratic, but Kaidan kept talking to distract the young man. “Who shot you?”

“Blood Pack. Tough bastards.” Jenkins gritted his teeth. “We got ‘em, most of ‘em, anyway. They hurt Garrus…so we kicked 'em in the quad.”

“Who’s Garrus?”

“Friend of ours. Turian–” Jenkins stifled a cry of pain. “Good guy. Always backs you up in a fight. They hurt him pretty bad, so the Boss wanted to let 'em know what happens if you mess with his friends.”

Kaidan nodded. This was new information. “Easy, Jenkins. Stay with me.”

“The Boss…dragged me out of there…told me to hang on…he was gonna get help, but…I think he was hurt too…stubborn, like me.” Jenkins coughed. “But I know he’s gonna come back for me. He always does, no matter how many times I’ve screwed up or didn’t listen…he’s always like that.”

Kaidan sadly shook his head. He’d done all he could, but Jenkins wasn’t going to make it. _At least he won’t be alone in the end._ “He sounds like a good guy.”

“Yeah…for a merc. He doesn’t take any shit from anyone, but deep down…he’s a good guy.” His eyes fluttered shut. “If you find him…if he’s still alive…tell him I tried…to make him proud–”

“If I meet him, I’ll tell him.” Kaidan squeezed his hand. “What’s his name?”

Jenkins murmured something under his breath, but Kaidan didn’t understand. Before he could ask again Jenkins was gone.

_Dammit_. Kaidan sighed and gently closed the young man’s eyes. _I wish the Alliance could’ve gotten to him sooner. Maybe he didn’t have to die here, alone on Omega._

He tapped his earpiece. “I found a survivor. Tried to patch him up, but he died of his wounds.”

“Acknowledged, Alenko,” replied Gufus Nax. “Did you get anything out of him?”

“Looks like this whole thing was motivated by revenge. The merc bands hurt someone named Garrus, and his friends decided to teach them a lesson.”

“Shit.” That was Vega. “I hate merc wars.”

Ashley cut in. “I think the sniper’s gone, people, but keep low, just in case he come back. We’ve got our people coming in for clean-up. Kaidan, Anderson wants to talk to you. Sounds urgent.”

“On my way.” Kaidan sighed and glanced back at Jenkins. “Wish I’d gotten to you sooner. Rest in peace, Jenkins.” He turned and made his way back towards the exit.

Another shadow watched him from the darkness. A gloved hand gripped the medkit so tightly that it crinkled softly in his fingers.The blue eyes watched until the biotic was out of sight. A slight smile graced the watcher’s lips.

_Spectre Kaidan Alenko. I’ll be watching you._


End file.
